Conspiracy Theories
by Nonnihil Scelestus
Summary: John and Olivia discuss conspiracies and find something special along the way.
1. Chapter 1

Conspiracy Theories

Chapter 1

Olivia sat at her desk, staring off into space. The day had been long and drawn out. She couldn't concentrate on her paperwork. She didn't even notice how John and Fin were bickering happily. All she could see was her partner's empty desk. He was in court that day. It wasn't for a criminal case. It was for his divorce. Elliot had been edgy and snappish all week and as his partner, Olivia had borne the brunt of it. Every time she tried to tell his she was there for him, Elliot would lash out at her, accusing her of pitying him. So she stopped. But he still lashed out at her. It hurt because he was her best friend, and partner, and she loved him as those two things despite his current actions.

She shook herself out of her stupor and tried to concentrate on what she was doing but only succeeded marginally. By the end of the day, she felt shredded by trying to keep on task. She watched Fin leave and glanced over at John. He was still working on his stacks of files. John caught her staring, so he paused and flexed his hand before turning to face her.

"You ok, Liv?" He asked.

"I'm alright, or at least, I'll survive." She answered. John just peered over his glasses at her as if to say 'I'm not sure I believe you,' and studied her. "Elliot just has to get past his anger and hurt and things will be ok again. I can weather it."

"I'm not debating whether or not you can survive his projecting emotions. I'm worried about how well your actual friendship will survive…" He tapered off.

"How well out friendship will survive what? What aren't you telling me?" John looked like he wanted to bit his own tongue off. "John, just say whatever it is."

"Kathy named you as the cause for the divorce and Elliot didn't contest it." She felt like she'd been sucker punched.

"He didn't contest it? I love Elliot as a friend and a partner, but I would never break up his marriage. I don't want that kind of relationship with him."

"What if he wants one with you?"

"I cant with Elliot. He…it…. it just wouldn't work. I can't be with him in a personal relationship. I don't want to insinuate myself into his life anymore than I already have. Elliot is my partner and my friend, but nothing more." John nodded and she turned back to her work for a moment and sighed. "There's no way I'm going to get anymore done with this. Come on, I'll buy dinner." He looked surprised for a moment before gathering up his jacket and following her out. They were all right at working together, but they had never been especially close, so he was a little surprised that she wanted to spend time with him. They got into her car and started out of the parking lot.

"Anywhere you want to go?" Olivia asked.

"Don't care, anywhere's good." For once John didn't have anything to say.

"John, you can talk to me. I'm not going to bite your head off. I'm glad you told me about it, I just wish it had come from Elliot himself."

"Are you sure you're ok?"

"I'm fine. I promise I wont kill or maim Elliot. I probably wont even yell at him, however, that depends largely on how I feel tomorrow." She said with a small smile as she pulled into the parking lot of a little Italian café. They went in and were seated immediately. John was still at a loss as to what to say. Olivia gave him a hard stare over her menu.

"I swear John, if you don't start talking about something, anything, I'm never going to take you to dinner again." He looked thoughtful for a moment.

"So you know Oswald wasn't really there to assassinate Kennedy. He was there to protect him and he was trying to find the real assassin, but he wasn't fast enough. It was the government who had Kennedy killed, but he found out before hand and hired Oswald to protect him." He stated. She looked stunned for a moment and then laughed a full happy laugh. John smiled.

"Ok, you win. So what other conspiracy theories do you want to share with me?"

"Elvis maybe?" He mused for a moment.

"Elvis? What about Elvis?" She was interested now.

"Well, he's one of the living dead."

"Elvis is a vampire?"

"Yeah, why do you think there have been so many sighting but not pictures? He was changed the night he supposedly died. He's not quite right in the head due to all the drugs in his system, but he hasn't left the building."

Well that's certainly a new one. What's next on the list?"

"Aliens. They exist. They've been trying to take over our world for years now, but they haven't succeeded because there are a couple of people who work for the FBI that keep them in check."

"I think I would have been better off not knowing that one, but I'm glad you're talking to me."

"Now it's your turn. Talk about anything that doesn't involve work or Elliot."

"Well do you really want to hear how I'm redecorating me apartment?"

"Sure. Are you going to paint or put up wallpaper?"

"No wallpaper. I may paint but I haven't had time to pick a color. I got a new bed and bedroom furniture and a bigger desk for my office. I'm leaving the bathroom the way it is."

"What else are you going to do?"

"The living room needs some work and I'm going to get new dishes for the kitchen."

"Sounds good. Have you thought about getting a pet?"

"No, I'm never home. I thought about getting a dog, but with my hours it would be a bad idea."

"You don't strike me as the type to like cats either, demonic little fur balls that they are. How about a Betta fish? They're hardy and don't need a lot of care."

"Is that what you have, John? A fish?"

"I have several. Fish tanks are easy to take care of."

"You surprise me. What else have you not told me?" She gave him a questioning look.

"There's not a lot to me. I'm pretty simple."

"The day you're simple, is the day I bat for the other team." She responded disbelievingly. "You are extremely complex. I rarely know what you're really thinking. You use sarcasm and cynicism as armor and it's very effective."

"Not entirely true. Our conversation on the rooftop that one evening comes to mind."

"That's an exception. That one had personal memories attached to it. What are you thinking about now?" He smirked at her.

"Guess." She studied him, trying to gauge what was going on behind his eyes. They were sparkling mischievously and he had a half smile of amusement on his face.

"You're enjoying our conversation, but beyond that I have no idea." She said at last.

"I'm disappointed now. I figured it would be quite clear what I was thinking about."

"Is this one of those things, that because I'm a woman, I should guess what the typical male would be thinking about, so sex?"

"Not exactly about sex, but definitely something intimate. I am after all, at the very least, atypical."

"True. So what were you thinking, or do I really want to know?"

"I was thinking about how much I enjoy your company and how much I would like to…" He trailed off and Olivia raised an eyebrow in silent question. "…take you dancing." He finished. She laughed softly.

After that their conversation turned to mundane things. Eventually winding down to silent and comfortable contemplation of each other. Finally Olivia spoke.

"We better go. The restaurant will be closing soon. Do you need a ride home or did you drive today?"

"A ride would be most appreciated if I'm not out of your way. My car has finally died, for good this time."

"Not a problem." They drove to John's apartment in silence, comfortable with each other in a way they hadn't been before. When they reached the building. Olivia slid the car into park and turned to face him. "Thank you for keeping me company tonight. You're a good friend and a great guy."

"This is the point where you tell me that friends are all we can be right?" She didn't answer. "But anytime you want to talk or just want some company, I'm here."

"Thank you." He nodded and got out of the car.

"John." She called before he shut the door. He leaned down so he could see her. "I wasn't going to say we could only be friends. That would be too cliché for me, and untrue." He favored her with a wide smile before stepping away.

"I'll see you tomorrow then." He shut the door then and turned away to go up to his apartment, as she drove away into the night.

As he lay in bed that evening, thinking over his time with Olivia, he couldn't help but contemplate the possibilities now open to him for exploration.


	2. Chapter 2

Conspiracy Theories

Chapter 2

When Olivia finally made it home, she locked her door behind her and stripped on her way down the hall, not caring where her clothes landed. She kept her gun and laid it on the nightstand and the crashed onto he bed, only bothering to push the covers away. She wasn't truly tired. Just the opposite, in fact, she was almost hyper aware of everything, especially the conversation replay going on in her head.

The time she spent with John had opened her eyes to a whole new set of possibilities and while he was a good friend and a great guy, she had never considered anything beyond that for them. It simply had never crossed her mind that he would be interested in her, or that he was considered eligible. And then there it was staring her right in the she dropped into a fitful sleep, waking instantly when her phone rang at six.

"Benson." She mumbled into the receiver.

"Hey, Liv, could you give me a ride this morning? Fin canceled our usual appointment." John asked gingerly from the other end.

"Yeah, sure. I'll see you in thirty." She answered slightly more awake.

"Thanks, you're an angel." With that he hung up phone. Olivia flopped back onto the bed for a moment, wanting to give into sleep. She levered herself up to get ready for work.

Thirty-five minutes later she was knocking on John's door. He greeted her with a cup of coffee and a pastry. She eyed him speculatively.

"I walked down to the bakery. My way of saying thanks." He answered in his defense. Olivia took both, sipping at the coffee as she followed him back to his kitchen.

"Your welcome." She said finally. She was as far from being a morning person as you could be, so John wisely kept quiet until she finished breakfast and her coffee.

"Better now?" he asked as he gathered his coat.

"Much. You're an angel too."

"Why thank you. You know I always wondered how I would look with wings. I always thought black ones would be lovely. I think you'd look marvelous in white ones." She laughed. She could always count on him to make her smile.

When they arrived at work, the rest of the team was already there. John had just said something outrageous, so they were both laughing. Elliot, Fin, and the Captain all paused to look up at them. The Captain, who liked John very much, and felt like Olivia was the daughter he never had, took their entrance in stride. Fin smirked at them. If they were happy, what did he care. Only Elliot seemed angered. Olivia noticed. She always noticed with Elliot. It was harder to tell what exactly he was angry was about though. He was always angry these days especially because of his divorce. She shrugged it off and started to work.

Later when she was in the locker room to take some things home to wash, Elliot cornered her.

"So what's with you and John? You guys are buddy-buddy all of a sudden." He asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"I picked him up on my way in. Nothing I haven't done before. No big deal. Besides, when you get past the cynicism, he's hilarious." She said, as if that answered everything. Elliot saw a mix of red and green.

"So you like hanging out with a man twice your age? And what am I? Chopped liver? I thought we had something…"She cut him off.

"We're friends, you and me, good friends, and we're partners, but that doesn't mean I don't have other friends. And as to what we have, we have a work partnership. I don't know here you got it into your head that I'm your cure all for everything that's gone wrong . I'm not your girlfriend. I'm not your lover. I'm not your wife. I don't want to be either. I love you Elliot, but not like that. And for your information, John is not twice my age." She replied, her own anger sparkling in the face of his. She gathered her stuff and moved to walk around him.

"Olivia." He said her name like a warning.

"No. I'll talk to you tomorrow. You have two choices. Get over whatever it is that's bothering you and be rational, or lose me too. Make a choice." With that she shook off the hand he place on her arm and stalked out to get her coat from her desk. John was waiting for her. She plucked her keys out he pocket and tossed them at him. He caught them, barely.

"I'm too upset to drive right now, but I want out of here, so let's go." He nodded and pulled on his own coat, before escorting her out the door.

They drove in silence, straight to Olivia's apartment. When she finally realized where they were, she directed John to park in the garage and led him up the stairs to her place. Much like the night before, she started to peel off layers until she got to her undershirt , letting the clothing fall from her fingers to the floor.

"Olivia, come lock the door after me. I'll catch a cab, and leave you alone." He called after her. She paused in the doorway to her bedroom.

"Stay." She said so softly, he almost didn't hear her.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, stay." She continued into the bedroom and laid her gun on her nightstand as he watched from the doorway. She sat on the edge of the bed and gestured for him to join her. He sat next to her and lay back when she did. She turned to face him.

Eventually they moved to lie on the bed properly and she pillowed her head on his shoulder.

"I'm so tired of being Elliot's emotional punching bag." She said softly.

"So don't let him use you." Was his reply.

"I wont, not anymore. I'm done." She whispered as she finally drifted off to sleep. If they both slept better together than either had alone, neither one said anything. And if anyone noticed John was wearing the same clothes for a second day, it wasn't a big topic of conversation.


	3. Chapter 3

Conspiracy Theories

Chapter 3

The rest of the week passed without incident. Elliot kept his anger and comments to himself. The routine returned to normal and everything seemed to be evening out. At the end of the day on Friday, the Captain announced they wouldn't be on call for the weekend. They had two days off. They'd earned it.

As Olivia shrugged into her coat, Fin kicked John and nodded at her. His not so subtle hint to ask her for a ride. John took the clue happily. She was by far a better choice for a lift. She didn't complain like Fin did.

"Olivia, can I catch a ride?" He asked. She nodded and waited patiently for him to put on his own coat. Elliot didn't comment, but he did eye them suspiciously.

"Do you want to have dinner tonight?" He asked when they were out the door.

"Sure. What did you have in mind?"

"How does pizza sound? I know a great place for real Italian pizza and breadsticks."

"Pizza sounds good to me. Do they do to go orders?"

"Yeah, we can get it to go?"

"Good. I picked up a movie while I was out at lunchtime. Is it closer to my place or yours?"

"It's actually just around the corner from my apartment."

"That's convenient."

"It is." They drove to John's apartment and this time he had he park in his parking garage. They walked to the pizza place and got their pie to go. They didn't say much, but that was fine for them. They were comfortable with each other.

When they got back to John's apartment, Olivia started the movie while he got plates, napkins, and a couple of cokes from the kitchen.

"So what are we watching?" He asked when he came back into the living room.

"Appaloosa. It's a western. It looked interesting."

"Sounds good. Dig in." They watched the movie in silence from his couch. He had his arm draped across the back and sometime during the movie, she moved so she was tucked against his side. By the time the movie was over, they were stretched out along the couch, fast asleep.

When Olivia woke up the next morning to find herself sprawled across John's chest and unsure of how she got there it wasn't awkward and it didn't feel wring so she laid her head back down over his chest and listened to his heart beat steadily against her ear. A little while later she felt his hand move against her back and his breathing changed.

"Morning." She mumbled. He made a noise that could have been 'mmmm' but she wasn't sure.

"You're better than a blanket." He said a few minutes later and she smiled into his chest. "I don't want to move, forever. This is nice, here, with you."

"So we wont." She answered.

"Sounds good to me." They stayed there on the couch until they absolutely had to move. It was nice having two days off from work, so there wasn't anything pressing to call them into action. After they had coffee, John offered her the bathroom first and one of his many black shirts. She accepted both and while he was taking his own shower, she cleared away the remains of their dinner.

"So what are your plans for the day?" He asked, startling her as she hadn't heard him come back into the room.

"Shopping. I need to finish my apartment makeover. What about you?"

"Nothing really, just some laundry, but it can wait."

"Want to help me pick out paint and dishes?"

"Sure. Let me feed the fish and we'll go." She followed him into his home office to find a large aquarium filled with colorful fish and strange plants in bright colors. He explained what each type of fish was as he fed them.

They stopped by her apartment before they went shopping, long enough for her to drop off her clothes. They spent the day picking out paint, dishes, glasses, a rug, living room furniture and some art for the walls. The new sofa was to be delivered later that afternoon and they would take her old one to the nearest homeless shelter. John agreed to help her paint, so they spent afternoon together at her place. They were happy with each other. They meshed on a personal level in a way that had never happened before, for either of them. She told John so, when they stopped for the evening.

"I noticed that too. It could be because we've been friends for seven years. We know each other well enough on that level that it's a simple transition to something more." He answered.

"Do you want to take the next step with me, though?" She asked. She didn't want to ruin what they had already established.

"Yes, I'll take the next step with you."

"Are you absolutely sure, because neither one of us has a great track record?"

"I'm sure. I think you're what I was looking for."

"I feel the same way." That evening they slept curled together in Olivia's bed.

The next morning was when trouble showed up on Olivia's doorstep in the form of Elliot. She got up to answer the door and John followed her. She peered out the peephole and cursed softly.

"It's Elliot, isn't it?" John whispered. She nodded. "I'll go make coffee then. Call if you need back up." She kissed his cheek in thanks, then opened the door. It was barely seven in the morning and she had yet to have her coffee, so she was slightly grumpy.

"What do you want Elliot?" She asked, eyes and body still heavy with interrupted sleep.

"To talk, see how you are."

"And you picked now? Seven am on a Sunday, one of the few days off I've had in who knows how long? It had better be damned important! Talk!"

"Um…Can I come in?"

"No. Talk."

"I wanted to say I'm sorry about the other day in the locker room and that I'm in love with you. That's why I was being so weird. I want to be with you."

"First of all, we've already had this conversation once before. Number two, you just got divorced and you named me as the cause. I'm not your catch all reason for you problems with Kathy and last but not least, I don't feel the same and I'm seeing some one. You need time tom put your life together. I refuse to be your rebound girl too. See you tomorrow." With that she shut the door in his face, locking it behind her and putting the security chain on. Then she joined John in the kitchen.

"You alright?" He asked, handing her a cup filled with coffee.

"I will be as long as I have you."

"Then we'll both be fine." He responded as he pulled her close for a hug. "We'll be just fine."


	4. Chapter 4

Conspiracy Theories

Chapter 4

Monday came all too soon for both John and Olivia. It was like the anticipation of Christmas morning and then all the packages are opened and there's nothing left to do. John had caught a ride with Fin that particular morning so Olivia came in a little later than usual. Fin and John were at their desks chatting amiably and Elliot was talking with the Captain. He came out a moment later with a smirk on his face. Not long after the Captain called Olivia and John in together.

"Elliot had brought it to my attention that the two of you are together." The Captain stated without preamble. Olivia looked at John and then back at him.

"It's a conspiracy, Liv. The government knows we know, so they told Elliot and so now he knows we know, and the government knows we know, and know the Captain knows too. But do they know that we know that they know we know?" John said before she could speak.

"Know what?" The Captain asked.

"Exactly." Olivia couldn't help but laugh and John just smirked, but kept silent.

"I give up. You aren't going to tell me and I couldn't make sense of that if I wanted to. So what you guys do on your own time is your business. Just don't let is interfere with you jobs. Get back to work." The Captain sent them back to their desks with a shake of his head. He loved his people but sometimes they were just crazy.

Elliot, who had been watching, lost his smirk when John and Olivia came out unscathed, from their meeting with the Captain. When Olivia sat down across from him, she smiled sweetly then kicked him in the shin under the desk. Her way of saying back off. Elliot winced in agony. He should have left well enough alone, but no he had to poke his nose into something that was none of his business.

When lunchtime rolled around, Elliot dashed out the door. He went to a near by bakery and got cookies for the team and a very large cupcake for Olivia. When he came back, the rest of the team was gone. So he set the cupcake on her desk and waited.

Olivia came back into the squad room at a sedate pace. She was content for the moment and full. The Captain had taken them to lunch. She spotted the cupcake on her desk and the not propped against it. She read the note first.

_Olivia,_

_Sorry for being an ass. Sometimes I'm too dumb for my own good. I get it now. None of my business. I'm happy as long as you're happy. Forgive me?_

_Elliot_

She looked at him sharply, gauging his sincerity.

"Promise to leave it alone and just be my friend?" She asked finally.

"Yes. I'm sorry and it wont happen again."

"Then I forgive you."

"So do I." John added and Elliot jumped in surprise. He hadn't heard the older detective come up behind him.

"Get to work people." The Captain called as he went past.

They all laughed and did exactly that. Everything was as it should be and there were no conspiracy theories in sight.


End file.
